Search Climate Insights Directory
1,345 results
When feeding the world puts food security at risk
The author contends that the 'Feed the World' narrative used by agribusiness multinationals masks a system that exacerbates hunger and poverty. Industrial agriculture is criticized for destroying the natural resources it depends on, promoting dependency through food dumping and seed monopolies, and contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. The text asserts that food insecurity is primarily caused by poverty rather than structural shortages. It proposes a shift toward endogenous development, intercropping, and agroecology to ensure a resilient, high-quality, and accessible food system.
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Document type: Statement
We need to talk about nitrogen
The document highlights the impact of human-induced changes to the global nitrogen cycle, specifically the use of manufactured nitrogen-based fertilisers. It notes that reactive nitrogen levels have tripled in Europe and doubled globally over the last century, leading to ecosystem eutrophication, biodiversity loss, and the exacerbation of climate change.
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Document type: Report
Neonics, Bees & Food Security
The document highlights the ecological risks of neonicotinoid pesticides, noting their toxicity to insects, birds, and fish, and their potential to disrupt pollination services vital for food security. It details Ontario's efforts to reduce neonic-treated seed acreage and Health Canada's proposed phase-out of imidacloprid to protect aquatic environments.
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Document type: Briefing
BEE EMERGENCY CALL
The report argues that the European Commission and various Member States are undermining the 2013 bans on four bee-harming pesticides, including neonicotinoids and fipronil, by exploiting a legal loophole for 'emergency authorisations'. Analysis of 62 notifications reveals that these authorisations are frequently granted without evidence of a genuine emergency, without considering alternative pest control methods, and are often driven by the pesticide and seed industry. The document highlights Romania as a primary example of this abuse, noting it granted one-third of all EU derogations for neonicotinoids between 2014 and 2016 despite evidence of bee colony losses and a lack of research into sustainable alternatives. The authors call for the Commission to increase transparency, systematically scrutinise notifications, and reject industry-led requests.
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Document type: Report
Exposing the Secrets Behind Burger King and Global Meat Production Report
The report argues that Burger King lacks transparency and effective policies to prevent deforestation in its supply chain, contrasting it with competitors like McDonald's. Through field investigations and satellite mapping, the authors link Burger King's suppliers—specifically soy traders Cargill and Bunge—to the destruction of the Brazilian Cerrado and Bolivian lowland forests. The document highlights the resulting loss of biodiversity, carbon emissions, and violence against indigenous peoples, while advocating for the expansion of the Brazilian Amazon Soy Moratorium to other Latin American ecosystems.
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Document type: Report
INVASIVE PLANTS AND FOOD SECURITY IN AFRICA: THE POTENTIAL OF EARTH OBSERVATION DATA
The document examines the detrimental impact of invasive plant species on Africa's rangelands and croplands, noting that they can reduce the productivity of major grain foods like maize by up to 45%. It highlights a gap in current policy frameworks, such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals and AU Commission strategies, which lack coherent protocols for managing these species. The author proposes using Earth Observation (EO) technology—specifically free datasets like Sentinel-2—to create spatial occurrence maps that identify priority zones and propagation corridors. The brief recommends that international bodies like the CBD, AfriGEOSS, and UN-SPIDER facilitate case studies and policy amendments to incorporate EO data into land management and food security strategies.
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Document type: Policy brief
Giant Panda
The giant panda is vulnerable to climate change due to its specialized diet, low reproductive rate, and fragmented habitat. Key risks include the potential inability of bamboo to migrate at the same rate as pandas and increased human encroachment as higher elevations become agriculturally viable. Recommended strategies focus on habitat restoration with climate-adapted bamboo, increasing protected area connectivity, and supporting local human adaptation to reduce habitat pressure.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Cascading of woody biomass: The tricky path from principle to policy to practice
The document explores the 'cascading' principle, which suggests natural resources should be used for their most valuable purposes for as long as possible before energy recovery. It analyzes the tension in the EU between the bioenergy sector, the forest industry, and environmental NGOs, while critiquing historical 'designated eligibility' approaches to implementation.
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Document type: Briefing
“Mainstreaming”
The document examines the tension between 'mainstreaming' climate change adaptation—integrating it into development, business, and other policy sectors—and treating it as a specialized 'silo' of expertise. Drawing on the Adaptation Futures 2016 conference, it argues that neither approach is inherently superior; rather, the choice depends on the specific purpose and context. While mainstreaming promotes resource efficiency and policy coherence (particularly regarding poverty reduction), the author notes that it can make adaptation progress invisible, complicating monitoring, evaluation, and the tracking of earmarked finance. The brief highlights the expansion of mainstreaming into business operations and city planning, while recommending a pragmatic approach that recognizes the value of both integrated and stand-alone adaptation efforts.
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Document type: Briefing
Sustainable Land Management in Churia Range, Nepal (SLMCRN)
The SLMCRN project, implemented by WWF GEF Agency and executed by WWF Nepal with five Government of Nepal ministries, aimed to reduce degradation in 2,500 ha of agro-pastoral lands and 5,000 ha of forests. The terminal evaluation rated the project as 'Overall Satisfactory', noting strong output delivery but weaker outcome integration. Key successes included the establishment of 'open grazing free zones', the introduction of income-generating activities like Sal leaf plate making and milk chilling centers, and the use of bio-engineering for riverbank protection. However, the evaluation identified significant gaps in district-level coordination, a 'top-heavy' governance structure, and the failure of certain technologies like Sloping Agriculture Land Technology (SALT) due to insecure land tenure. The report recommends transitioning to longer project cycles (at least 5 years), integrating climate resilience into all activities, and reforming the National Land Use Policy 2012 to ensure nationwide implementability.
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Document type: Report
Reform Our Farm and Food System
The Union of Concerned Scientists calls for a coordinated federal food policy to replace a dysfunctional system that prioritizes commodity crop subsidies over public health and sustainable farming. The document advocates for shifting subsidies toward healthy foods, supporting mid-sized family farms, and adopting agroecological practices to mitigate climate change impacts and reduce healthcare costs.
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Document type: Statement
La Boite Noire du Commerce de l’Huile de Palme
The report argues that Olam, a Singapore-based agribusiness, operates a 'black box' in its palm oil supply chain by concealing the identity of its suppliers, which allows the company to source oil from producers engaged in deforestation. In Gabon, the report alleges that Olam has cleared approximately 20,000 hectares of forest since 2012, violating FSC standards. In Southeast Asia, Olam's lack of transparency is linked to the 'haze' crisis caused by peatland and forest fires. The document calls for Olam to adopt a 'zero deforestation' policy, publish its supplier list, and restore destroyed habitats.
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Document type: Report
SUBMISSION OF COMMENTS FOR THE ESIA STUDY FOR THE LAMU-GARISSA ROAD SECTION OF THE LAMU PORT SOUTHERN SUDAN-ETHIOPIA TRANSPORT (LAPSSET) PROJECT
The document critiques the ESIA for the 250km Lamu-Garissa road, highlighting risks to the critically endangered Hirola antelope and the Tana River ecosystem. It argues that the preferred route (Alternative I-1) lacks species-specific wildlife crossing data and fails to allocate budget for wildlife protection in its management plan. Additionally, the authors identify failures in stormwater management planning, a lack of impact analysis for the extraction of approximately 1.375 million cubic meters of construction materials, and procedural violations of Kenyan law regarding public participation and gazette notices.
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Document type: Statement
Joint statement by CEE civil society organisations on implementing the Paris Agreement
The document argues that EU climate tools must be reformed to support a low-carbon transition in Central and Eastern Europe, specifically calling for a 55% emission reduction target by 2030 and the phase-out of fossil fuel and nuclear energy subsidies.
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Document type: Statement
Polar bear
The report identifies polar bears as highly vulnerable to climate change due to their extreme dependence on sea ice for hunting, mating, and traveling. While the species possesses some genetic diversity and mobility, these are offset by a low reproductive rate, long generation time, and the rapid decline of Arctic sea ice, which is projected to be nearly ice-free in the summer before mid-century. Key recommendations include protecting the "last ice areas" in northern Greenland and the Canadian Archipelago, increasing population monitoring, and managing rising human-wildlife conflict as bears spend more time on land.
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Document type: Report
En repudio al asesinato de dirigentes campesinos en Honduras
The statement by Amigos de la Tierra de América Latina y el Caribe (ATALC) denounces the killings of José Ángel Flores and Silmer Dionisio George in Honduras. It attributes this violence to a 'state of exception' characterized by extreme militarization and the influence of transnational capital and international trade treaties that promote monocultures for biofuels, bananas, and sugar cane, leading to the criminalization of human rights and environmental defenders.
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Document type: Statement
APPELLANTS’ STATEMENT OF GROUNDS OF APPEAL IN TERMS OF SECTION 96(1)(a) OF THE MINERAL AND PETROLEUM RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT, 2002, AND REGULATION 74 OF THE MINERAL AND PETROLEUM RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS, 2004
This document is a statement of grounds of appeal filed on 13 October 2016 by eight environmental and community organisations against the approval of the Environmental Management Programme (EMPR) for the Yzermyn underground coal mine. The appellants argue that the approval, granted by the Mpumalanga Regional Manager of the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) on 28 June 2016, ignored critical biodiversity risks, failed to provide adequate mitigation for water resource degradation, and disregarded the socio-economic vulnerability of local rural communities.
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Document type: Statement
Cattle, Cleared Forests, and Climate Change
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) found that none of the 13 evaluated consumer goods companies can guarantee their beef is deforestation-free. While some companies like Mars, McDonald's, and Walmart show more progress, most lack comprehensive policies, transparency, and traceability for indirect supplying ranches. The report highlights that beef production is the primary driver of tropical deforestation in South America, contributing significantly to global carbon emissions and biodiversity loss.
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Document type: Report
Palm Oil Buyers Scorecard
The 2016 Palm Oil Buyers Scorecard evaluates corporate adoption of RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO). While many companies have joined the RSPO and increased CSPO use, a significant gap remains between high-level commitments and the use of physically segregated supply chains. The report highlights that while 77 companies committed to 100% CSPO by 2015, only 56 achieved this. It emphasizes the need for companies to move beyond 'book and claim' certificates toward segregated sourcing to effectively eliminate deforestation and habitat loss in producer regions like Indonesia and Malaysia.
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Document type: Report
WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS TO THE SOUTH AFRICAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION FOR THE NATIONAL INVESTIGATIVE HEARING ON THE UNDERLYING SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHALLENGES IN MINING-AFFECTED COMMUNITIES IN SOUTH AFRICA
The document argues that poor environmental governance by the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) and the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) leads to systemic violations of environmental rights in South Africa's mining sector. It highlights severe impacts on water resources, including acid mine drainage and the depletion of aquifers, and notes the destruction of strategic water source areas (SWSAs). The CER identifies critical failures in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, citing insufficient timeframes for public participation and a lack of independence among practitioners. It recommends transferring environmental regulation of mines from the DMR to environmental authorities, implementing free prior and informed consent (FPIC) for communities, and establishing 'no-go' areas for mining in ecologically sensitive zones.
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Document type: Statement